Sunday, May 31, 2009

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

A gathering of talented local and regional Sheila and Abaya designers, the Sheila and Abaya Fashion is among the most glamorous shows in GCC for local attire. Amateur and professional designers bring on their best creations in one of the most highly regarded events for traditional fashion. This year, a total of 16 designers are expected to participate in the event featuring both professional and amateur designers.

Overwhelming turnout from spectators and media representative on the first day of the event

The much awaited DSS 2008 Signature Event – Sheila and Abaya Fashion opened to a flock of fashion enthusiasts in BurJuman, a key sponsor of DSS 2008, on Thursday, August 07, as some of the prominent designers in the GCC prepared to showcase the latest trends in sheilas and abayas.

The opening witnessed an overwhelming attendance by visitors and shoppers alike, in addition to an unprecedented Media turnout, filling the “Pavilion Gardens” on the third floor of Burjuman with tens of cameras and journalists from all over the region. The shows of the first day were also attended by Suhaila Gubash, Events manager at the Dubai Shopping Festival Office, in addition to a host of fashion guests, designers.

Amina Al Jassim, a prominent Saudi Arabian fashion designer and renowned Omani designer, Khadija Al Lamki, showcased their collections to mark the opening of the third edition of Sheila and Abaya Fashion.

Amina Al Jassim’s creations reflected her characteristic use of simple designs focusing on functionality while Khadija Al Lamki, an award-winning designer, displayed her expertise in the use of silk and intricate designs in abayas.

Shows for Saturday, August 9

Shows on August 9 feature the collections of HANAYEN, a leading fashion label for abayas in the UAE, and Bahraini designer, Ayesha Ali Yateem. HANAYEN was established in 1990 by Nader Nouraei at Al Ghurair City and the company has since grown to retail in sheilas and abayas in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah, and Oman.

Ayesha Ali Yateem graduated in Interior Design from American University, Dubai, in 2006 and thereafter pursued a fashion design course in London School of Fashion Design. Fully occupied with her family establishment, Al Bait Al Bahraini LLC, the designer aims to tap into the high-end markets.

Women

A type of outer garment from the Gulf or Khaleej region of the Middle East which covers from the head to the feet. It is also becoming increasingly common amongst the conservative women of Pakistan. Traditional abayas are black, and may be either a large square of fabric draped from the shoulders or head, or a long black caftan.

An Iranian traditional outer garment that covers the head and body and is a full length semi-circle of fabric but comes down to the ground. Does not have slits for the hands and is held shut with the hands, teeth or simply wrapped under the arms.

Men

A part of the headdress for men. Often they are made of a black rope-like cord. They are worn atop the head to help keep the ghutra secured.

Iḥrām

The name typically used to denote the clothing worn by a pilgrim during either the Hajj or Umra. For a male, the first part is the izar, a piece of cloth wrapped around to cover from the ankles to the abdomen. The second piece, called the reda, is draped over the shoulders to cover the upper body. The cloth is to be plain, white and unsewn. For women, typical and unpretentious clothes will be their iḥrām.

A crochet cap that covers most of the head. Worn by Arab men. It can also be a round, sewn cotton cap that is embellished with embroidery. InPakistan,India and Bangladesh it is called a topi. In West Africa, it is called a kufi.

Abaya / Jubah are known by various names but serve the same purpose, which is to cover. Contemporary models are usually caftans, cut from light, flowing fabrics like crepe, georgette, and chiffon. Styles differ from region to region: some abaya or jubah have embroidery on black material while others are brightly coloured and have different forms of artwork across them.